1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frozen beverage blender equipped with a cutting mechanism of ice cubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is disclose in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 252637, a cutting mechanism of this kind adapted for use in a frozen beverage blender is composed of an ice storage container placed above a conical casing, a cutting blade mounted on an upwardly inclined peripheral wall of the conical casing, a rotary plate driven by rotation of a rotary shaft to rotate along the inner surface of the conical casing, and a chute arranged at a front side of a beverage blender to introduce ice cubes falling from the ice storage container and drop ice pieces sliced by the cutting blade just under the cutting blade.
In the cutting mechanism described above, a large amount of ice cubes dropped in the conical casing are moved upward along the inner wall of the conical casing under a centrifugal force of the rotary plate driven by rotation of the rotary shaft and thrusted toward an annular plate arranged above an outer periphery of the rotary plate so that the ice cubes are sliced by the cutting blade under a reaction force applied thereto. In such operation of the cutting mechanism, cutting noises of the ice cubes become large. The ice cubes falling on the axis center of the rotary plate causes the ice cubes in the container to rotate with the rotary plate, resulting in further increase of the cutting noises of ice cubes. In the case that the conical casing is formed small in size to decrease the cutting noises of ice cubes, an amount of ice cubes sliced by the cutting blade per unit time is reduced, resulting an increase of cutting time of the ice cubes.
In use of the frozen beverage blender of this kind, it is required to wash the parts such as the cutting blade placed in contact with ice cubes in operation. In the ice cutting mechanism, an electric motor is, however, placed under the conical casing for driving the rotary wing. Accordingly, all the parts have to be removed from the upper portion of the cutting mechanism for washing, resulting in a trouble in washing of the parts.